Four Tips for Avoiding Data Breaches
AAOSNow – April 2019
by Michael R. Marks, MD
According to a new report by Radware, a provider of load balancing and cybersecurity services for data centers, the average cost of a cyberattack now exceeds $1 million. Furthermore, 37 percent of the organizations that have been attacked experienced subsequent damage to their reputation.
I asked Michael J. Sacopulos, JD, founder and president of Medical Risk Institute, to provide some practical approaches for minimizing risk of breaches and costly cyber fallout.
“Preparing for a security breach is kind of like playing poker in Vegas,” said Mr. Sacopulos. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and avoid a breach. Maybe you won’t. But unlike Vegas, you can increase your odds of success by preparing.”
He offered four steps practices can take to decrease their odds of a breach. The steps focus on the most problematic areas.
- Step up your cyber hygiene
Much like scrubbing before surgery to avoid infection, cyber ygiene involves training staff and preparing systems to avoid malware or ransomware. According to Mr. Sacopulos, the most overlooked component of data security management is staff training.